Napoli awaited the visit of Torino as a confident side who could technically climb as high as a third place by the end of this round of Serie A football. Meanwhile, the Granata approached the game as a team for whom the specter of relegation seems to loom ever closer with each coming week.
The two teams’ congested schedules are, naturally, taking their toll on their players’ legs. The first 45 minutes of football were rarely eventful and the rhythm of the match was an uncharacteristically slow one. Chances were few and far between.
Naturally, Napoli was the team most interested in generating attacking plays and earning three points. However, as was the case in the game against Lazio, the absences of players like Dries Mertens and Victor Osimhen greatly decreased the team’s attacking vision. Furthermore, Hirving Lozano and Kalidou Koulibaly, who had suffered injuries in the previous match, were left on the bench. This further affected the team’s offensive intensity.
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Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, one that he used against Lazio, and throughout most of his tenure as manager of the Azzurri. Some changes were operated from the previous encounter against Lazio. Lorenzo Insigne made his return to the team’s midfield line. The hard-working midfield pivot Diego Demme also returned to the line-up. Unfortunately, he had to be substituted early through injury.
Gattuso likes to instruct his players to build up play slowly from the back and look for the occasional through ball played towards the lone striker. Andrea Petagna played as the team’s most advanced player, while Insigne looked to use his technique to bring up his teammate in favorable goal-scoring situations.
Meanwhile, Torino is a team who can’t help but doubt themselves following the recent string of poor results. Manager Marco Giampaolo opted to alter the team’s setup from their previous game to a 3-5-2. The hopes, ones would assume, were for the five midfield line to block Napoli’s passing avenues and to take control of the half-way line. Frankly, it worked although it’s doubtful this will spark much enthusiasm among the team’s fans.
Torino looked happy to press with low intensity and look to recycle possession towards Andrea Belotti. The “Rooster” remains one of Serie A’s finest strikers and a riddle to anyone unfamiliar with his loyalty for the lowly Turin side.
? Gli scatti del primo tempo
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⚽️ #NapoliTorino 0-0 (HT)
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Gattuso’s men started out the second half much more determined albeit, frankly, not much more imaginative. Once again, the team was happy to move the ball through short passes before shuttling the occasional pass through the lines.
It was Torino though who struck first, through a set-piece and somewhat against the progression of the game. In the 56th minute, defender Armando Izzo made the best of Napoli’s poor marking and rifled a volley into the right corner.
This sent Napoli onto a desperate goal chase. The highly animated Gennaro Gattuso finally felt forced to send Hirving Lozano into the thick of the action, in the hopes of providing some penetrating chances.
Napoli did eventually grab the equalizer in the dying minutes. Fittingly the strike came courtesy of their most influential and skillful player, Lorenzo Insigne. The execution was beautiful, no doubt, but it should leave fans wondering how to best accommodate the talent of a player like Insigne.
The draw leaves neither of the two teams satisfied. Napoli did not look like a title-chasing side. Still, it’s true that few teams are able to consistently outplay their opponents throughout such a busy season.
Meanwhile, Torino did not resemble the relics that their current table position might indicate. Then again, they hardly looked poor throughout the season. Giampaolo’s team finds itself in a relegation battle as a consequence of failing to win points when they have the opportunity to so. Wednesday’s match proved no different.
Both teams have plenty to work out in the new year, but, given the circumstances, Napoli will have the happier set of supporters at the end of this game.
MATCH REPORT
December 23, 2020 – Serie A 2020-21 Round 14
NAPOLI-TORINO 1-1
SCORERS: 56′ Izzo (T), 92′ Insigne (N)
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NAPOLI (4-2-3-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Manolas, Maksimovic, Hysaj (71′ Mario Rui); Bakayoko (71′ Fabian Ruiz), Demme (30′ Elmas); Politano (63′ Lozano), Zielinski, Insigne; Petagna (71′ Llorente) (Ospina, Contini, Ghoulam, Lobotka, Malcuit, Rrahmani) Coach: Gattuso |
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TORINO (3-5-2): Sirigu; Izzo, Buongiorno, Bremer; Singo, Lukic (89′ Meite), Rincon, Linetty (94′ Segre), Rodriguez (88′ Vojvoda); Verdi, Belotti (89′ Zaza) (Milinkovic Savic, Rosati, Celesia, Edera, Gojak, Meite, N’Koulou, Vianni, Vojvoda, Zaza) Coach: Giampaolo |
REFEREE: Mr. Valeri from Rome
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Elmas (N), Izzo, Linetty, Buongiorno (T); Extra Time: 1st Half 2′, 2nd Half 6′
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